[Applause] thank you so the cello and thinking
thank you so the cello and thinking
thank you so the cello and thinking outside the box or thinking outside the
outside the box or thinking outside the
outside the box or thinking outside the wooden box
wooden box
wooden box better yet thinking outside the wooden
better yet thinking outside the wooden
better yet thinking outside the wooden box with four strings or my favorite
box with four strings or my favorite
box with four strings or my favorite thinking outside the 201 year-old wooden
thinking outside the 201 year-old wooden
thinking outside the 201 year-old wooden box with four strings so what is it that
box with four strings so what is it that
box with four strings so what is it that makes the cello so magical when a person
makes the cello so magical when a person
makes the cello so magical when a person hears the cello played at a high level
hears the cello played at a high level
hears the cello played at a high level for the first time and one of the things
for the first time and one of the things
for the first time and one of the things is the cello encompasses the entire
is the cello encompasses the entire
is the cello encompasses the entire range of the human voice a truly unique
range of the human voice a truly unique
range of the human voice a truly unique quality for a musical instrument and an
quality for a musical instrument and an
quality for a musical instrument and an example everyone knows what middle C is
example everyone knows what middle C is
example everyone knows what middle C is here and if we go one and two octaves
here and if we go one and two octaves
here and if we go one and two octaves below we have what’s called great C and
below we have what’s called great C and
below we have what’s called great C and that’s gr a grea T not GRA te
that’s gr a grea T not GRA te
that’s gr a grea T not GRA te so great C would be B the very bottom of
so great C would be B the very bottom of
so great C would be B the very bottom of the male voice and if we have middle C
the male voice and if we have middle C
the male voice and if we have middle C but active above and an octave above its
but active above and an octave above its
but active above and an octave above its high C and that would be the very top of
high C and that would be the very top of
high C and that would be the very top of a woman’s voice so it’s not just that
a woman’s voice so it’s not just that
a woman’s voice so it’s not just that the cello can cover the range of the
the cello can cover the range of the
the cello can cover the range of the human voice the cello is also uniquely
human voice the cello is also uniquely
human voice the cello is also uniquely capable of covering and conveying human
capable of covering and conveying human
capable of covering and conveying human emotions and feelings and to give an
emotions and feelings and to give an
emotions and feelings and to give an example the cello can sound angry
[Music]
[Music] okay or the cello can convey love
[Music]
[Music] not just that the cello is capable of
not just that the cello is capable of
not just that the cello is capable of imitating crying or sadness
so what is it that makes sound on the
so what is it that makes sound on the cello there are two principles involved
cello there are two principles involved
cello there are two principles involved number one is vibration
number one is vibration
number one is vibration number two is friction and they have to
number two is friction and they have to
number two is friction and they have to be coordinated in a right balance if we
be coordinated in a right balance if we
be coordinated in a right balance if we have vibration without enough friction
have vibration without enough friction
have vibration without enough friction we get a sound that like substance and
we get a sound that like substance and
we get a sound that like substance and if we have too much friction and not
if we have too much friction and not
if we have too much friction and not enough vibration we get a sound that you
enough vibration we get a sound that you
enough vibration we get a sound that you might associate with a young child
might associate with a young child
might associate with a young child learning how to play the violin or the
learning how to play the violin or the
learning how to play the violin or the cello for the first time and this would
cello for the first time and this would
cello for the first time and this would be a test of human patience and
be a test of human patience and
be a test of human patience and endurance
endurance
endurance so we could have a
so we could have a
so we could have a [Music]
right not good so thinking outside the
right not good so thinking outside the box what helped me to not only beat an
box what helped me to not only beat an
box what helped me to not only beat an incurable illness but to really help
incurable illness but to really help
incurable illness but to really help play the cello I come from a late start
play the cello I come from a late start
play the cello I come from a late start having started the cello at age 9 and I
having started the cello at age 9 and I
having started the cello at age 9 and I wasn’t serious about the cello until
wasn’t serious about the cello until
wasn’t serious about the cello until relatively late in high school but in
relatively late in high school but in
relatively late in high school but in the seventh grade I started to play the
the seventh grade I started to play the
the seventh grade I started to play the guitar and I got very serious about it
guitar and I got very serious about it
guitar and I got very serious about it and in two years I was the lead
and in two years I was the lead
and in two years I was the lead guitarist in the first of several rock
guitarist in the first of several rock
guitarist in the first of several rock bands I played in so with the electric
bands I played in so with the electric
bands I played in so with the electric guitar it’s a different instrument we
guitar it’s a different instrument we
guitar it’s a different instrument we have frets we have thin steel strings
have frets we have thin steel strings
have frets we have thin steel strings and it takes a very very little effort
and it takes a very very little effort
and it takes a very very little effort with the left hand and you have for the
with the left hand and you have for the
with the left hand and you have for the right hand you have an amplifier that
right hand you have an amplifier that
right hand you have an amplifier that does all the work so I used my skills as
does all the work so I used my skills as
does all the work so I used my skills as a guitarist to learn how to make sound
a guitarist to learn how to make sound
a guitarist to learn how to make sound on the cello and when the violinist
on the cello and when the violinist
on the cello and when the violinist Itzhak Perlman heard the legendary
Itzhak Perlman heard the legendary
Itzhak Perlman heard the legendary Jascha Heifetz play for the first time
Jascha Heifetz play for the first time
Jascha Heifetz play for the first time he said he couldn’t close his mouth for
he said he couldn’t close his mouth for
he said he couldn’t close his mouth for a week
a week
a week he said the sound he made was generated
he said the sound he made was generated
he said the sound he made was generated this incredible heat like a tornado
this incredible heat like a tornado
this incredible heat like a tornado standing in one place and when I heard
standing in one place and when I heard
standing in one place and when I heard the great cellist Restrepo vaq play when
the great cellist Restrepo vaq play when
the great cellist Restrepo vaq play when I was 16 years old this sound blew my
I was 16 years old this sound blew my
I was 16 years old this sound blew my hair back and it was like he had an
hair back and it was like he had an
hair back and it was like he had an electric cello with a volume knob that
electric cello with a volume knob that
electric cello with a volume knob that went up to 11 so one thing that I used
went up to 11 so one thing that I used
went up to 11 so one thing that I used not only the guitar but also I had
not only the guitar but also I had
not only the guitar but also I had studied martial arts for a while and if
studied martial arts for a while and if
studied martial arts for a while and if you think about how a martial artist can
you think about how a martial artist can
you think about how a martial artist can break a brick with the bare hand a brick
break a brick with the bare hand a brick
break a brick with the bare hand a brick is stronger than human bone and flesh
is stronger than human bone and flesh
is stronger than human bone and flesh yet the martial artist is able to
yet the martial artist is able to
yet the martial artist is able to accomplish this seemingly impossible
accomplish this seemingly impossible
accomplish this seemingly impossible feat and it’s all about learning how to
feat and it’s all about learning how to
feat and it’s all about learning how to focus the energy of the mind and the
focus the energy of the mind and the
focus the energy of the mind and the body into a point on the hand where you
body into a point on the hand where you
body into a point on the hand where you can overcome a physical barrier and not
can overcome a physical barrier and not
can overcome a physical barrier and not just that a baseball pitcher I had
just that a baseball pitcher I had
just that a baseball pitcher I had studied baseball pitcher for a while and
studied baseball pitcher for a while and
studied baseball pitcher for a while and if you look at a baseball pitcher they
if you look at a baseball pitcher they
if you look at a baseball pitcher they can get the ball a go at a velocity of a
can get the ball a go at a velocity of a
can get the ball a go at a velocity of a hundred miles an hour it’s all about
hundred miles an hour it’s all about
hundred miles an hour it’s all about learning how to
learning how to
learning how to coordinate the energy of the mind and
coordinate the energy of the mind and
coordinate the energy of the mind and the body into the points and the fingers
the body into the points and the fingers
the body into the points and the fingers that will release the ball at that
that will release the ball at that
that will release the ball at that velocity so the cello is strikingly
velocity so the cello is strikingly
velocity so the cello is strikingly similar in the sense that it’s about
similar in the sense that it’s about
similar in the sense that it’s about learning how to focus the energy of the
learning how to focus the energy of the
learning how to focus the energy of the mind and the body into the hands namely
mind and the body into the hands namely
mind and the body into the hands namely the right hand so to coordinate that
the right hand so to coordinate that
the right hand so to coordinate that sound we would need to get the friction
sound we would need to get the friction
sound we would need to get the friction and the vibration right
and then what we add with the left hand
and then what we add with the left hand is a pulsating pitch change called
is a pulsating pitch change called
is a pulsating pitch change called vibrato
and this is what brings the cello very
and this is what brings the cello very close to the human voice so one other
close to the human voice so one other
close to the human voice so one other thing that I used to think outside the
thing that I used to think outside the
thing that I used to think outside the box actually took place 2,500 years ago
box actually took place 2,500 years ago
box actually took place 2,500 years ago before the cello ever existed and this
before the cello ever existed and this
before the cello ever existed and this is the great philosopher and
is the great philosopher and
is the great philosopher and mathematician named Pythagoras who
mathematician named Pythagoras who
mathematician named Pythagoras who devised what we know is the harmonic
devised what we know is the harmonic
devised what we know is the harmonic series so a young person once asked me
series so a young person once asked me
series so a young person once asked me after they listen to me play they said
after they listen to me play they said
after they listen to me play they said how do you know where to put your
how do you know where to put your
how do you know where to put your fingers right am i using the force
fingers right am i using the force
fingers right am i using the force no the guitar has frets the piano has
no the guitar has frets the piano has
no the guitar has frets the piano has keys it’s all mapped out for you on the
keys it’s all mapped out for you on the
keys it’s all mapped out for you on the cello how do we know where this is
cello how do we know where this is
cello how do we know where this is so Pythagoras came up with the harmonic
so Pythagoras came up with the harmonic
so Pythagoras came up with the harmonic series which is mathematical division of
series which is mathematical division of
series which is mathematical division of string length and just to give you an
string length and just to give you an
string length and just to give you an example this is what harmonics are
so every one of those pitches is a
so every one of those pitches is a division of string length for the cello
division of string length for the cello
division of string length for the cello I use for harm on I use seven harmonics
I use for harm on I use seven harmonics
I use for harm on I use seven harmonics one quarter see the string starts here
one quarter see the string starts here
one quarter see the string starts here at the nut and it ends here at the
at the nut and it ends here at the
at the nut and it ends here at the bridge that’s the length so if we divide
bridge that’s the length so if we divide
bridge that’s the length so if we divide that one quarter of the length one third
that one quarter of the length one third
that one quarter of the length one third of the length 1/2 2/3 3/4 5/6 and 7/8 so
of the length 1/2 2/3 3/4 5/6 and 7/8 so
of the length 1/2 2/3 3/4 5/6 and 7/8 so having known these and memorize these
having known these and memorize these
having known these and memorize these the way a pool player knows angles on
the way a pool player knows angles on
the way a pool player knows angles on the board every range every note on the
the board every range every note on the
the board every range every note on the instrument is within range of one of
instrument is within range of one of
instrument is within range of one of those seven harmonics so that’s how I’m
those seven harmonics so that’s how I’m
those seven harmonics so that’s how I’m not using the force that’s how I know
not using the force that’s how I know
not using the force that’s how I know where I am when I play the cello so
where I am when I play the cello so
where I am when I play the cello so we’ve made some examples of human
we’ve made some examples of human
we’ve made some examples of human emotions the cello can also imitate
emotions the cello can also imitate
emotions the cello can also imitate other sounds and this is another unique
other sounds and this is another unique
other sounds and this is another unique quality of the instrument using
quality of the instrument using
quality of the instrument using pythagoras as harmonics I can imitate
pythagoras as harmonics I can imitate
pythagoras as harmonics I can imitate the sound of seagulls right and I can
the sound of seagulls right and I can
the sound of seagulls right and I can also physics I have the Doppler effect
also physics I have the Doppler effect
also physics I have the Doppler effect the compression and decompression of
the compression and decompression of
the compression and decompression of sound waves if you were standing on the
sound waves if you were standing on the
sound waves if you were standing on the side of the highway you might hear
side of the highway you might hear
side of the highway you might hear [Music]
[Music]
[Music] okay and if you ever go to the races you
okay and if you ever go to the races you
okay and if you ever go to the races you might hear race cars sound like this you
so taking one of those vehicles that’s
so taking one of those vehicles that’s not street-legal on the road you might
not street-legal on the road you might
not street-legal on the road you might hear this and if you operate that
hear this and if you operate that
hear this and if you operate that vehicle at a speed that it’s capable of
vehicle at a speed that it’s capable of
vehicle at a speed that it’s capable of you might hear this
you might hear this
you might hear this [Music]
[Music]
[Music] and then one of my favorites is the
and then one of my favorites is the
and then one of my favorites is the cello is also capable of imitating the
cello is also capable of imitating the
cello is also capable of imitating the sound of rodent control or the mousetrap
sound of rodent control or the mousetrap
sound of rodent control or the mousetrap [Music]
[Music]
[Music] so having gone over some of the lighter
so having gone over some of the lighter
so having gone over some of the lighter features of the cello I’d like to play
features of the cello I’d like to play
features of the cello I’d like to play something written for the cello by the
something written for the cello by the
something written for the cello by the great master Johann Sebastian Bach and
great master Johann Sebastian Bach and
great master Johann Sebastian Bach and these are to go vods from his suite
these are to go vods from his suite
these are to go vods from his suite number six in D major
[Music]
[Music] you
you
you [Music]
”
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